High power electrical interface connection

ABSTRACT

An electrical connection includes a socket having a bore and a pin. The pin is allowed to move along an axis defined inwardly into the socket bore, and also to move radially relative to the axis. The socket bore has a generally conical portion. The pin has a generally conical face. The generally conical face of the pin is in contact with the generally conical portion of the socket. A motor system including such a connection is also disclosed. In another feature, an electrical connection includes a socket having a bore and a pin. The pin is allowed to move along an axis defined inwardly into the bore, and also to move radially relative to the axis. The pin is spring-biased into the bore such that an end of the pin seats on an end face of the bore.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application relates to a floating electrical connector which can beutilized for high power connections.

Electrical components are utilized in more and more applications. As thesophistication of these components increase, complex motor controllersare needed. Very large, high power motor controllers are mounted ingroups, and receive a connector to receive power, and a connection tosupply power to a motor. One type of connection is a “rack and plug-inapproach”. Such connections raise challenges, as they are large, and theplug-in must be blindly inserted. The connectors in these largeconnections are referred to as blind mates.

Due to tolerances, it is not possible for the connectors to beidentically positioned. Thus, one connector is often allowed to floatfor alignment. The use of a floating connector and the blind mating doesnot allow for any secure connection to be made to tie the two connectorsmechanically.

In applications which may be subject to vibration, micro or differentialmovement may occur between the two connector halves. This micro movementcan result in fretting or accelerated wear. At very high currents, suchas hundreds of amps, the wear can be problematic.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An electrical connection includes a socket having a bore and a pin. Thepin is allowed to move along an axis defined inwardly into the socketbore, and also to move radially relative to the axis. The socket borehas a generally conical portion at the base of the socket. The pin has agenerally conical face. The generally conical face of the pin is incontact with the generally conical portion of the socket. A motor systemincluding such a connection is also disclosed.

In another feature, an electrical connection includes a socket having abore and a pin. The pin is allowed to move along an axis definedinwardly into the bore, and also to move radially relative to the axis.The pin is spring-biased into the bore such that an end of the pin seatson an end face of the bore.

These and other features of the present invention can be best understoodfrom the following specification and drawings, the following of which isa brief description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a motor controller connected to a motor.

FIG. 1B shows a drawing of a motor controller and a plurality ofelectric connections.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through an electrical connectionaccording to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1A schematically shows an aircraft 20 which may include motorcontrollers 22 for supplying high power to a motor 24. In practice, theaircraft 20 may include a plurality of such motor controllers andassociated motors. Plural electrical connections 26 electrically connectthe motor controllers 22 to motors 24. As can be appreciated from FIG.1, there is a power supply 25 for supplying DC power to the motorcontroller 22, and through electric connections 26. As known, there is apositive line, a negative line, and a ground line included. At least thepositive and negative lines may include a connection 26 as describedbelow. There may also be a signal control line 100 connecting the two.As shown, there may also be a power supply line leading from the motorcontroller 22, back to a motor 24. Again, there may be three lines, forthe three phases of power. Each of these lines pass through what isknown as a rack 102. The rack 102 receives the power supply lines, andcommunicates the power back to the motor 24.

As can be appreciated from FIG. 1B, the rack 102 may have a small panelwhich actually includes the electric connections 26. Typically, theseconnections are for the blind mating, as the motor controller 22 hasbeen mounted into the rack which may mount a plurality of motorcontrollers. As the controller 22 mounts onto the panel 102, electricalconnections are made. Typical electrical connectors 26 on motorcontrollers are fixed in position and location and electrical connectors26 on rack and panels 102 are floating or moving in position andlocation for tolerance management. As shown in FIG. 1B, the portions ofthe electric connections 26 illustrated are generally rectangular.However, this may simply be the outside housing shape, and the actualconnection portions will be as shown in FIG. 2, and generallycylindrical.

FIG. 2 shows a disclosed connection 26. In the disclosed connection 26,a pin insulation body 28 is associated with a socket insulation body 30.The socket insulation body 30 includes a socket conductor 32 which formsone of the electrical connection halves. The socket 32 has an internalgenerally conical bore 34. The conical bore 34 merges into an innercylindrical bore 36. Beyond the inner cylindrical bore 36 is anextending outer cylindrical bore 41, formed by body portion 40. An innerledge 38 merges bore 36 into bore 41. An outer ledge 42 defines the endof outer cylindrical bore 41. As can be seen, bore 41 has a greaterinternal diameter than bore 36.

A spring 44 may be formed of a conduction foil, such as beryllium copperfoil. The spring 44 is formed to have a valley 43 intermediate outerridges 46. The outer ridges 46 contact the cylindrical bore 41, whilethe valley 43 contacts an outer periphery of a pin 51. Pin 51 has aforward conical portion 52 which, when seated in the bore, abuts theconical portion 34. The pin 51 has a head 56, and an outer end 58. Theouter end extends outwardly of the insulation body 28. A retention ring60 stops the end 58 from moving into the housing 28. A spring 62 biasesagainst the head 56, and forces the pin 51 into the position illustratedin FIG. 2, wherein the conical portion 52 of the pin abuts the conicalbore 34 of the connector 32.

Should there be misalignment, the pin 51 can float relative to thesocket 32 and body 30 to ensure proper alignment. Radial float of pin 51is achieved by a floating feature on connector body 28 As can beappreciated from FIG. 2, the pin is allowed to move axially into and outof the bore of the socket. On the other hand, the spring bias forcingthe conical portion 52 and 34 together ensures that there will be goodconnection at all times, and even during vibration.

In a sense, the pin is spring-biased such that its conical surfacebottoms out, or seats, onto the conical surface of the socket conductor32. While conical contact surfaces are shown, other shapes may beutilized, as long as the pin does bottom out against the surface of thesocket. With this arrangement, the combination of the pin and socketform an effective beam shape.

Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker ofordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modificationswould come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, thefollowing claims should be studied to determine the true scope andcontent of this invention.

1. A motor system comprising: an electric motor controller; an electricmotor; a power supply for supplying power from a source of voltage tosaid electric motor controller, a plurality of power supply lines forsupplying power from a source of voltage to the electric motorcontroller, and another plurality of electric lines for supplying powerfrom the electric motor controller to the electric motor; an electricalconnection between each pair of said lines connecting said motorcontroller to said motor, said electrical connections including a sockethaving a bore; and a pin, said pin being allowed to move along an axisdefined by said socket bore, and also to move radially relative to saidaxis, said socket bore having a generally conical portion, and said pinhaving a generally conical face, said generally conical face of said pinfor contacting said generally conical portion of said socket.
 2. Themotor system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a first spring biases saidpin into said socket.
 3. The motor system as set forth in claim 2,wherein said bore includes an inner cylindrical bore positioned axiallyoutwardly of said generally conical portion.
 4. The motor system as setforth in claim 3, wherein said bore also includes an outer cylindricalbore which extends from said inner cylindrical bore of said socket, saidouter bore defining an inner diameter which is greater than an innerdiameter at said inner cylindrical bore, and there being a ledge portionextending radially inwardly from said outer cylindrical bore at anaxially outer end of said socket.
 5. The motor system as set forth inclaim 4, wherein a second spring is positioned within said secondcylindrical bore, said second spring contacting both an inner wall ofsaid socket along said outer cylindrical bore, and an outer peripheralsurface of said pin.
 6. The motor system as set forth in claim 2,wherein said pin is movable within a pin insulation body, and said firstspring is positioned within said pin body.
 7. The motor system as setforth in claim 6, wherein said pin body extends axially beyond said pininsulation body in an opposed direction from said socket, further havinga retainer to prevent said pin body from being driven into said pininsulation body by said first spring.
 8. The motor system as set forthin claim 1, wherein the motor and motor controller are for mounting onan aircraft.